The National Crime Agency (NCA), a UK law enforcement agency in the United Kingdom, is looking to hire two “Cryptocurrency Financial Investigations Managers” for its newly-formed digital assets team within the Complex Financial Crime Team (CFCT) with a remit to proactively investigate cryptocurrency related crimes.
UK Determined to Fight Crypto Fraudsters
According to the job description, the role will include overseeing complex investigations involving digital assets from a Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) perspective in the UK and ensuring that all investigations are carried out lawfully in accordance with UK laws and POCA.
For the uninitiated, POCA is a piece of legislation that was introduced in the UK in order to target and prevent the proceeds of crime. This act constitutes one part of an overall effort to crack down on criminal activity and effectively dismantle organized crime networks.
The main responsibilities of the position will be to act as a Senior Authorising Officer concerning orders and warrants obtained about cryptocurrency-related investigations and provide advice to financial Investigators to gather evidence and solve crimes.
Details of the Job Positions
It would also entail several other processes such as interviewing witnesses and suspects, collecting, analyzing, and preparing trial evidence, testifying their findings in court, and providing training to staff in tier 1 and tier 2 digital assets and cryptocurrency investigation skills.
As per the NCA website, the viable candidate will be an existing member of the police staff who is a certified, accredited financial investigator (AFI). Furthermore, the candidate should also possess other experiences in blockchain analysis, criminal investigation, and in-depth knowledge of relevant UK and international laws, among others.
The job will offer a salary of approximately 47,380 British pounds approximately $61,076.37, along with other civil service benefits schemes. This comes after the NCA announced a specialized crypto team dubbed the “National Cyber Crime Unit (NCCU) Crypto Cell,” in January 2023, to investigate cryptocurrency-related cyber crimes.
Authorities Worldwide Ramp Up Efforts to Tackle Crypto Crimes
Meanwhile, amid a surge in crypto-related scams and frauds, South Korea also launched an interagency investigation unit to tackle digital asset crimes. The Prosecutor’s Office said that until the crypto-currency market was regulated under law, the investigation team would fill the gap in investor protection.
Furthermore, on July 20, the United States Department of Justice (DoJ) said it will double the number of staff on its crypto crime team established in 2021. Senior Justice Department official Nicole M. Argentieri stated in a speech that the National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team (NCET) will be merged with the department’s cyber-crime team, Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS), to investigate crimes such as ransomware attacks and prosecute criminal offenses involving the abuse of cryptocurrency.
